Fund raiser for family a big success

A dinner and auction to raise money for a family who recently lost their home to fire was a big success at the Eagles club on Saturday.

Pageant girls present replacement awards and new title to Brianna Whybark. Melissa Merriman (Coulee Sweetheart) crowns Brianna Whybark with the runner-up title of the Queen of Hearts Pageant. Brianna did not know she had won this because the runner-up was not awarded at the Pageant. From left, they are: Rosie Downs, Rylee Nichols, Melissa Merriman, Addison Marseilles, Brianna Whybark, Emmie Olsen and Alexia Ryan. — submitted photo

Heather Downs said the event brought in $3,000 in cash for Warner, Nevada and Brianna Whybark.

“It was amazing,” Downs said. “We had people dropping $100 for a plate of spaghetti.”

The Eagles dinner hall was completely full about 10 minutes after they opened for the event at 4 p.m.

Downs said the Eagles Aerie was very supportive, helping in many ways, not the least of which was donating all the food for about 150 people.

“The Eagles were amazing,” Downs said. “What a great institution that is.”

The Whybark family stayed for the whole event and were obviously emotionally touched by the outpouring of support, Downs said.

Two-thirds of the money was raised with donations for the dinner, even from those who couldn’t stay but stopped by just to donate, or who donated before the event at places around town.

“We’re still collecting donations,” Downs noted on Tuesday, because people are still dropping them off at The Star and at Village Cinema. About a third of the money was raised in the auction, with many items going for many times their actual value.

Brianna Whybark, 10, got an extra surprise at the dinner. She recently participated in the Queen of Hearts pageant in which she earned some awards, since burned. Eight of her new friends from the pageant attended the dinner and gave her new awards, and also the runner-up title, which hadn’t been awarded in the February pageant.